LIBN Staff

June 26, 2026

Read on LIBN

President and Chief Executive Officer

Health and Welfare Council of Long Island

Vanessa Baird-Streeter is president and chief executive officer of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, bringing decades of leadership experience in government, business and community service. Under her guidance, HWCLI has strengthened its role as a convener of nonprofit agencies, corporations and community stakeholders, working collectively to respond to the challenges faced by at-risk populations. Her leadership emphasizes policy development, direct service coordination and strategic partnerships aimed at fostering equity and access throughout the region.

A graduate of Dartmouth College with a double major in economics and education, Baird-Streeter began her career on Wall Street as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs. She later served as director of the ministry for Catholics of African Ancestry and director of communications for the Town of Babylon.

In 2012, she began her tenure at the Office of the Suffolk County Executive, and in 2020 made history as the first woman of color to serve as Suffolk County deputy county executive. In that role, she oversaw major agencies and initiatives, including the Department of Human Services. In 2020, she chaired the Suffolk County Police Reform and Reinvention Task Force, which produced New York State’s most comprehensive police reform plan, and led efforts during the pandemic to expand testing in underserved communities, launch food distribution programs and ensure equitable vaccine access.

Baird-Streeter is a member of the Long Island Power Authority board of trustees, associate member of Jack & Jill of America-Suffolk County Chapter and founding member of 100 Black Women, Inc.-Suffolk County Chapter, among other affiliations.